


Cold In My Professions, Warm In My Friendships

by allonsy_gabriel



Series: History Obliterates (the Hamilton Reincarnation AU No One Wanted) [2]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Burr is so done, Drunk Alexander, Drunk John, Fluff, Hamilton Fights Everyone, Homophobic Language, Human Disaster Alexander Hamilton, Hurricane Alexander, John Laurens is a Gift, M/M, Panic Attacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-27
Updated: 2017-04-27
Packaged: 2018-10-24 12:32:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10741776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allonsy_gabriel/pseuds/allonsy_gabriel
Summary: Or, five times John experiences Alexander Hamilton and the one time he finally realizes it.





	Cold In My Professions, Warm In My Friendships

**Author's Note:**

> Part of my History Obliviates series. Literally just fluff.

The first time Jonathan Latham saw him, Alexander was arguing with Professor Leigh in College Algebra. How anyone could argue about  _ math _ was beyond Jon, but the ordeal couldn’t help but tug on Jon’s heartstrings.

 

Alexander--his Alexander, that is--could argue about how the sky was actually yellow, and his case would be so airtight that when you looked up, you’d be surprised to see that the sky wasn’t some lovely shade of mustard.

 

A few moments later, Alexander Hayley was being tugged away from the professor by an exasperated Daniel Barnes. “Let it  _ go _ , Alexander,” Barnes urged in a hushed voice.

 

“But, Aaron--”

 

“Daniel.”

 

“Daniel, whatever. He’s docking points because--”

 

“Leave it be, Alex. You don’t want to get kicked from the class,” Barnes said, and Alexander slumped in defeat.

 

“Fine. But Leigh’s a dick,” he said.

 

“So you've said. You coming by the shop later?” Daniel asked.

 

“Obviously,” Alex said, rolling his eyes and hitching up the strap of his satchel. Jon looked away quickly, realizing he’d been staring.

 

“My shift is over at seven, and I'm not waiting for you,” Daniel said and headed off.

 

Jon busied himself with shutting down his laptop, trying to pretend he hadn't been eavesdropping. Alex didn't say a word to him.

 

Thank God.

OoOoO

The second time Jon experienced Alexander--because that's what Alex was, an experience--they were in the cafeteria.

 

Jon didn't really have time for lunch that day, which explains why he was in such a rush. He had a job interview in 20 minutes, and he was trying to get through that mess as fast as possible.

 

Coincidentally, so was Alexander. They collided head first.

 

Jon had spaghetti all over his nicest shirt. Alex had lettuce in his hair. Jon slipped on ice cream when he tried to stand, leaving him back on the floor.

 

“Shiiiiiiiiiiit,” Alexander said, wiping ranch dressing off his sweater, “I'm so sorry! I didn't see you, I was trying to finish up this essay--”

 

“Don't worry, man. I was going too fast anyway,” Jon said. Alex got to his feet first and offered his hand.

 

“Thanks,” Jon said, and he couldn't help but snicker when he noticed the noodles looped in Alexander's sloppy bun.

 

“No problem. I'm Alexander Hayley, by the way, but Alex is fine,” Alex said, “And I don't know what you're laughing at, but I promise you, it's not as bad as the cottage cheese all over your pants.”

 

“Jon Latham. I've seen you around, we've got College Algebra together,” Jon said, trying not to smile. His pants  _ were _ a disaster. He was a disaster.

 

“What's got you in such a hurry?” Alexander asked, picking meat sauce off his cuffs.

 

“I, uh, had a job interview. Don't really see much use in going in now,” Jon said, rubbing the back of his neck.

 

Alex grimaced and said, “Fuck, man, I'm sorry. Let me make it up to you?”

 

“How do you plan on doing that?” Jon asked.

 

“I know a good coffee place. You wanna grab something with me?” Alexander asked.

 

Jon blushed. “Are you… asking me out?”

 

“Maybe. You'll have to see.”

 

“Let's go.”

OoOoO

Jon spent a lot more time with Alexander after that, the next, how to put it…  _ overly memorable _ moment he had with the man was right after their now weekly date night.

 

It was dark out, night had long since fallen, and Jon and Alex held hands as they walked down the street. It was still a new feeling to Jon, being able to be so public with his relationship. He couldn’t help but feel nervous as he walked down the street holding his boyfriend’s hand.

 

Alexander. Not  _ his _ Alexander, but so similar that sometimes Jon almost forgot. They had the same fire, same passion, same loud mouth.

 

These were the thoughts going through Jon’s mind when he heard the gunshot. Not a super rare thing in New York, but it still made Jon jump, his mind shooting back to South Carolina for a split second.

 

Alex, on the other hand, crumpled. One moment he was pressed against Jon’s side, and the next he was on his knees on the pavement.

 

“Alexander?” Jon asked, eyes wide as he crouched next to his boyfriend.

 

“Mama…” Alex muttered, a look of horror on his face.

 

“Alex, sweetheart, can you hear me?” Jon asked, grabbing his shoulder. Alexander didn’t respond and he breathing was rapid and shallow. “Alexander? Talk to me, man.”

 

Alex pressed a hand to the area of his chest between his ribs, his eyes still vacant  and his breathing labored.

 

A second gunshot went off, and Jon noticed the tears streaming down his boyfriend’s face. Alexander was muttering something under his breath, and all Jon could make out was _Mama_ , _‘Liza_ , and _Philip_.

 

Jon pulled out his phone and called Daniel.

 

“Jon?” Daniel asked on the other end.

 

“Daniel, you’ve got to help. There were gunshots, and Alex--” Jon sputtered.

 

“Is he alright?” the usually calm, collected man shouted on the other end.

 

“He’s not hurt, but I think he’s having a panic attack. He keeps talking about his mom and people named Liza and Philip.”

 

“Sweet Jesus. Where are you?”

 

“We’re almost back to campus. Outside, uh… the sandwich place near Brittany Hall?” Jon said, his head whipping around as he searched for points of reference. A small crowd was forming around the scene they were making.

 

“I’ll be there in five minutes,” Daniel said, and hung up with a click.

 

Jon focussed on Alex, who was now digging his nails into his forearm as people pressed closer.

 

“Give him space, please! Back up!” Jon shouted before turning back to Alexander and prying his hand off his arm. His nails had already made small, bloody crescents in his skin. “Hey, sweetheart, focus on me, okay? We’re gonna take deep breaths, okay? In for five seconds, alright?” Jon did it himself, and then said, “Okay, now hold for seven seconds. Aaaaand out for eight. C’mon, Alex. In. Hold. Out.”

 

Jon kept this up until Alexander’s breathing stabilized.

 

“You’re doing great, sweetheart,” Jon said, “Just focus on me. You're alright. It's, uh… October 12th? Yeah. October 12th, 2017. Your name is Alexander Hayley. You're in New York City. I'm Jonathan Latham. It's okay. It's all okay.”

 

“Jon…” Alexander muttered.

 

“I'm here, man,” Jon replied, “And Daniel is on his way.”

 

“Laurens,” Alex said even quieter. Jon's eyebrows skyrocketed. Laurens. Alex had said… no. No way. He must've said something else. Alexander didn't know.

 

“Daniel's coming, we're gonna get you home, okay?” Jon said. Alex nodded.

 

Daniel pulled up next to them and was out of the car in a second. “Alexander,” he said, squatting next to Jon, “Alexander, look at me.”

 

Alex looked up.

 

“We’re getting in the car, alright? You're safe,” Daniel reassured, offering Alex a hand. The man took it and hoisted himself to his feet. Jon huddled him into Daniel's car and sat beside him.

 

“Great. Good. Alex, we're going home,” Daniel said, and they sped through the streets.

 

“Jon. Count,” Daniel said.

 

“What?”

 

“Count to ten. Don't ask questions.”

 

“Okay… one. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten,” Jon said.

 

“Keep going.”

 

Jon had been through the numbers twelve times by the time they got home. By then, Alex was counting too, and his shaking wasn't as bad.

 

“We're here. You doing better, sweetheart?” Jon asked, tentatively taking Alexander's hand. Alex nodded and took a deep breath. “You wanna tell me what that was all about?”

 

Alex froze up and looked to Daniel, a sort of pleading in his eyes.

 

“Alexander doesn't have a best memories associated with guns. His mother was killed when he was 15 in a shooting,” Daniel explained evenly.

 

Jon nodded. He knew Alex's mom had died, but he hadn't known how.

 

“I'm sorry,” a quiet voice said from Jon's side. It was so timid, so soft, that Jon didn't even recognise it as Alexander.

 

“Hey, sweetheart, don't be sorry. It wasn't something you could control,” Jon assured him. He leaned in and then stopped. “Can I kiss you?”

 

Alex nodded and Jon closed the gap between them. It was hardly their first kiss, but it somehow felt like it was something new.

OoOoO

The next  _ memorable moment _ with Alexander was when he fell into the fountain. 

 

They'd been sitting in central park, Alexander working on something for US History, and Jon sketching a turtle, when Rogers started talking.

 

“Honestly, if they didn’t want want to be called fags, they shouldn’t have chosen to be gay,” Hunter Rogers said loudly.

 

Jon watched as Alexander tightened his fists.

 

“It’s a sin, and they’re all going to hell.”

 

Alex glanced at Jon as if he was expecting Jon to tell him to calm down or behave or something equally Daniel-like.

 

“Try not to actually hit him, okay?” was all Jonathan said, trying to ignore the fact that he himself was gripping his pencil so tight it was about to break.

 

Alexander beamed.

 

“Do you even hear yourself, or is your head too far up your own ass?” he asked Rogers, standing and crossing his arms.

 

“What I’m saying is none of your concern,” Rogers said, literally turning up his nose at Alexander.

 

“It is when you’re yelling it loud enough for all of Central Park to hear! Actually, I think you ought to be a little louder. I don’t think the people at the zoo heard your obnoxious bigotry,” Alex growled, crossing his arms as he glared up at Rogers.

 

“You know what’s really obnoxious? Having to see disgusting fa--”

 

“I’m going to cut you off right there before you make an even bigger ass of yourself. You say it’s a choice? Really? Why would someone choose to be gay?” Alex asked.

 

“They don’t have God in their life,” Rogers said pompously.

 

“Bull _ shit _ ,” Alexander spat, “Yeah, I’m just going to  _ choose _ to needlessly endanger myself. I’m going to  _ choose _ to have my rights stripped away. I’m going to  _ choose _ to be seen as an abomination.” 

 

“I never said it was a  _ smart _ choice,” Rogers said smugly.

 

“And even if it was a choice, we are a nation  _ built _ on choices. Kinda the whole point of democracy. You get a choice and I get choice, and they are of equal merit,” Alexander said. Rogers glared down at him.

 

“It’s  _ unnatural _ . I don’t want my future children seeing such obscenity.”

 

Jon himself was about to step in when Alexander stepped up on the edge of the fountain, putting him a head above Rogers.

 

“Wow, I didn’t think you could use words with more than two syllables,” he said, “And another thing! I thought Republicans were for a less government control. You know what sounds like the government being controlling? Them telling people who they’re allowed to love!”

 

“You’re corrupting innocent minds!”

 

“You’re corrupting my brain cells with your homophobic garba-ahhhhhhhhh!” Alex shouted as he fell backwards into the fountain.

 

“Shit!” Jon said, running over to his now dripping wet boyfriend.

 

“It’s an omen from--”

 

Jon spun around and socked Hunter Rogers in the jaw.

 

“Save oxygen. Shut the fuck up,” he said as he pulled Alexander from the water.

 

“I love you so much,” Alex said as he watched Rogers dab his bloody nose with his t-shirt.

 

Jonathan smiled. “I love you too,” he said. Not  _ his _ Alexander, but still  **his** Alexander.

OoOoO

Jon was drunk, but to be fair, so were Alexander and Daniel.

 

“Hey, hey Alex?” he asked,  poking his boyfriend in the cheek.

 

“Yeah?” Alexander giggled. Alex was a giggly drunk. And a cute drunk. He was cute all the time, though, so it didn’t really matter.

 

“I think I’m drunk.”

 

“I think so too!”

 

“I think you’re both lightweights,” Daniel grumbled. So maybe Barnes wasn’t as drunk, but that was only because he was  _ Barnes _ and no fun at all.

 

“I’m plenty fun. I can just hold my liquor is all,” Daniel said, rolling his eyes.

 

“Holy fuck, Alexander, I think Barnes can read minds!” Jon said.

 

“Pffffffft, nooooooo. You said that outloud. Silly,” Alex said, “Aaron isn’t cool enough to read minds.”

 

“It’s Dan--you know what? It’s no use,” Barnes grouched.

 

“I used to know a guy named Aaron. He was grouchy too,” Jon said, “I think he did some bad stuff. I don’t really remember. I’m drunk.”

 

“You already said that, Jon,” Alexander said, giggling again.

 

“Hey Alex?”

 

“Whaaaaaat?”

 

“You’re really hot,” Jon said innocently. It was true.

 

“Yeah, well, you’re gorgeous. Your eyes are like flowers or something, and your act like sunshine,” Alex said, obviously trying to go for his usual flowery language.

 

“I think this is my cue to head back to my dorm,” Daniel mumbled.

 

“Alex, you wanna have sex?” Jon asked.

 

“Oh, that is  _ definitely  _ my cue to leave.”

OoOoO

The most  _ memorable moment  _ Jon had with Alexander was the next morning. Jon was trying to get out of bed because damn it he had class in 15 minutes and  _ dear God why had he drank so much _ when Alex tugged on his arm.

 

“Laurens. Stay,” he muttered. Jon felt his heart squeeze in his chest.

 

“What did you say? Alexander?” he asked.

 

“John. John, I’m still tired. Stay,” Alex said.

 

“Alexander. Sit up,” Jon said, eyes wide.

 

“Fine, fine, God you sound like Burr,” Alex said, and no way was Jon imagining this.

 

“Alex.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“We need to talk,” Jon said. This. This was. Shit. This was big.

 

Alexander rolled his eyes and mumbled, “Isn’t that what we’re doing?”

 

“Alexander. This is serious.”

 

“Okay, okay. I’m serious.”

 

God.  _ God _ . Alexander.  **His** Alexander was  _ his _ Alexander? What the fuck kind of odds? What if Jon was wrong? What if he was mishearing? God, Alex would hate him! He’d think Jon was just dating him because he thought he was  _ his _ Alexander. Alex would dump him, he’d lose the most important thing in his life, it would all go to shit. Shit. This was a mistake. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck--

 

“Jon? What's this big, serious thing you need to talk to me about at eight in the morning?” Alexander asked, breaking through Jon's thoughts.

 

Too late now.

 

“Hamilton,” Jon said.

 

“Yeah? It's a good musical. Look, if you want me to stop playing it so much--”

 

“No. Hamilton. Alexander, I know,” Jon said quietly, taking Alex’s hand and praying he hadn't just made a huge fucking mistake.

 

“Oh.”

 

“Yeah, oh.”

 

“Jon, I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I'm sorry for anything I've said or--”

 

Jon cut him off with a kiss. “Hamilton,” he said as an explanation, raising his eyebrows and hoping the message got through.

 

“Oh my god. Laurens.”

 

“Alexander. It's been too long,” Jon said, looking Alex in the eye.

 

“Laurens! John!” Alexander kissed him. “God, John, you have no idea. I've missed you, God how I've missed you.”

 

Jon noticed the tears pooling in Alex's eyes, and felt his own well up as he pulled him,  **_his_ ** Alexander, closer.

  
He was home.


End file.
